Improvement in street-sweeping machines



UNITED STATES VATENT rrrcn.

LAUGHLIN CONROY, OF NET YORK, N. Y.

IMPROVEMENT IN STR'EET-SWEEPING MACHINES.

To all whom/ it may concern.'

Be it known that I, LAUGHLIN CONROY, of the city of New York, in the county and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Street-Sweeping Machine; and Ldo hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the saine, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part of this specification, in which-- Figure l is a front view of my invention, with the endless sweeping-apron bisected for the purpose of showing the parts within it; Fig. 2, a side sectional view of the machine, taken in the line mir, Fig. 1; Fig. 3, a detached horizontal section of a flexible comb pertaining to the machine, y y, Fig. 4, showing' the plane of section; Fig. 4,adetached side view` of a portion of the framing which supports the rollers of the endless sweeping-apron; Fig.

`5, a section of Fig. 4, taken in the line e' Z.

Similar letters of reference indicate corre spending parts in the several figures.

This invention relates to certain improvement-s on a street-sweeping machine for which Letters Patent were granted' to ine bearing date April 1G, 1861.

The object of the within-described invention is to render the endless sweeping-apron much more iexible than heretofore, so' that it may conform perfectly to the inequalities of the surface of the ground or street, and be kept in a proper taut state at all times, and also be capable of being raised and lowered a'utomatically with the opening and closing of the bottom of the dirt-box, so that the apron and its concomitant parts may readily pass over the discharged dirt.

The invention has further for its object a flexible comb or plane of more perfect construction than the one hitherto used, one which will adapt itself readily to the inequalities of the surface of the street or ground, and be capable of being elevated with facility when necessary, as in the case of backing, or when the machine is not at work and is being drawn from place to place.

To enable those skilled in the art to fully understand and construct my invention, I will proceed to describe it.

A represents a box or framing, which is mounted on two wheels B B and has a box C suspended at its front part. The box C may be of sheet metal, and it is provided with a bottom D, which is connected at its front end to boxC by a hinge a. 'lhe bottomD is prevented from casually falling or opening by means of a spring-bolt E, which has a cord b attached to it, said cord extendingup nearly to the drivers or atteudants scat F and being secured to a hand-lever'G.

To each side of the bottom l) of the box C there is attached a cord c. These cords extend up, one at each side of the box or fraining A, and are attached to slides H H on the box or framing A,in which slides thejournals of a drum or roller I are placed.

J J represent two bars, one being at each side of the box or framing A. These bars arc fitted loosely on the axle K of the wheels B B, so that they may swing freely on the axle. On the axle K there are also secured by hooks d aseries of pairs of metal plates L of curved form in their transverse section, as shown in Fig. 3. Each pair of plates. is connected by rivets e, one plate being over the other with a cloth or canvas f between them, said cloth o rcanvas extending from the tops ofthe plates to nearly their lower ends, or to the spot ax, where the taper commences which forms their points. (See Fig. 1.) The plates L have their vconvex surfaces upward, and said plates are placed side by side extending the whole width of the box or framing A, the cloth or canvas fforining a connection .between the pairs of plates. These platesL bear or rest on a cross bar or rod MX, the ends of which are attached to bent levers N N, secured to the bars J J. These levers N are connected by cords Ag to a rod or shaft O, which is at the front of the drivers seat F, the shaft O being provided with a lever h at its lupper end and the cords g attached to shaft O, so that both-willbe wound upon it when the shaft O is turned. This will be fully understood by-refer'ringto the dotted lines in Fig. l. The lower` ends of the platesr L are pointed, as shown clearly in Fig. 1, at h', and when the machine is in operation said points rest 'on the'ground or street and form a flexible inclined plane or` comb, on which the dirt is swept upward bythe endless sweeping apron M. The apron M is constructed precisely similar to that shown in myl patented machine, and therefore does not here require a minute description. The

lower and front ends of the bars J J are slotted longitudinally, as shown at bx, and into these slots screws cx of curved plates P are fitted and allowed to move or work freely, said screws cx forming the only connection between the bars J and the plates P. The front ends of the plates P are connected by pivots cxx to arms dx, which are secured to the front part of the box or framing A, the plates P being allowed to work freely on said pivots.

Each arm dx has a curved lever Q attached to it. The form of these levers is shown clearly in Fig. 4. To the upper end of each lever Q there is attached a strap or belt R. These` straps or belts extend around pulleys S'S on'a shaft T below thedrivers seat, said pulleys being toothed or cogged, and the straps or belts R having teeth or project-ions ex, which mesh into them. This arrangement prevents the slipping of the straps or belts. The straps are kept engaged with the pulleys S by means of semi-cylindrical shells U, which partially encompass the pulleys S, as shown in Fig. 2. The straps or belts R are attached at their opposite upper ends to the slides I-l H.

In the rear part of the box or frame A there is placed a shaft V, the ends of which are iii.- ted in slots fx in the sides of the box. On this shaft V there are placed loosely a series of bent levers or bell-cranks W, the inner ends of which are attached each to a frame X. These frames X have rollers Y in their rear parts, and each frame X has a spring gx attached, said springs being secured to a rod hx, the ends of which are fitted in jointed levers z'x, which are attached by fulcrum jx to the levers Q. The lower ends of the levers x are-attached to the plates P.

Z Z are two cross-bars which connect the plates P, and are placed one directly over the other. These plates have vertical rods kx passing through them, the upper ends of which are attached by links 'lx to the front ends of the levers IV. Each rod kx has an arm mx attached centrally to its lower end by a pivot nx, and to each end of each arm mx two rollers 0x are attached. The front ends of the arms mx have upright rods px attached, and these rods are fitted in slotted guideplates qx, which project from the lower crossbar Z. The plates P P are also connected by bars rx with the shaft V.

The rollers Y ox serve as bearings for the rear part of the endless sweeping-apron M, the rollers 0x keeping the apron near the street or ground and allowing it to conform to inequalities of surface. As the rollers 0x of one rod kx rise the roller Y of the frame X, which is connected to said rod 7c, Will be forced outward and take up the slack caused by the ascent of the rollers ox aforesaid. Thus it will be seen that the apron M is kept at a uniform tension throughout and is perfectly 'iexible, the upper rollers Y movingr outward as the lower rollers 0x rise, and vice versa. fhe springs gx have a tendency to keep the ollers Y inward and the rollers 0x down upon the apron.

The shaft T has a hand-wheel A at one end, and also a ratchet B', into which pawls sx gear or engage, said pawls being at opposite sides of the ratchet B and connected by a bar tx.

The operation is as follows: As the machine is drawn or propelledalon g, the endless sweep- `ing-apron M is moved in the direction indi- `inder I and the apron M is raised from the ground or street, the straps or belts R R, as they draw forward the slides H of cylinder, also releasing the upper ends of the levers Q, so that the front ends of the plates P and rear ends of the bars J J may rise under the action of the apron M as the rollerI is drawn forward. The plates L, it will be seen, rise with the bars J J, and as the slides II are drawn forward the cords c c are of course relaxed and the bottom D falls, allowing the contents of box C to escape. Thus it will be seen that each time the contents of the box C are discharged the apron M and plates L are elevated to escape or pass over the load discharged from said box. This is au important feature of the invention and saves considerable labor or manipulation in the working of the machine. Previous to the turning of the shaft T the bolt E is withdrawn, so.as to admit of the bottom l) .falling` when the cords c c are relaxed.

The plates L, secured to the cloth or canvas f,form an excellent inclined plane or su rface, perfectly iiexible, so as to conform to inequalities of the ground or street and insure the sweeping-apron M performing its work in the most efficient manner. The plates L may be raised at any time by turning the shaft O, as previously referred to. This is necessary in order to admit of the machine being backed when occasion requires.

The function of the rollers Y 0x, as previously explained,` is very important, as the apron M is always kept at the proper ltension at all points, the upper rollers Y taking up the slack caused by the rising of the lower rollers ox, which keep the. apron properly to its work.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. The arrangement of the rollers Y ox, connected through the medium of the frames X, levers W, rods 70x, and links Zx, the levers W being on the shaft V, which has its ends fitted in slots fx in the sides of the box or framing A and is connected to the plates P P by bars rx, lsubstantially and for the purpose setforth.

2. The arrangement of the sliding and revolving cylinder I,straps or belts R R, levers The apron M sweeps the.

Q, and pulleys S S on shaft T, substantially as shown, for the purpose of readily raising the sweeping-apron M when desired.

3. Connecting the bottom D of the box C to the slides H H of the cylinder I by means of the cords c c when said cords thus attached are used in connection With the straps or belts R R, levers Q., connected with the plates P, and all arranged, as shown, to admit of the automatic simultaneous elevation of the sweeping-apron M with 'the discharging of the contents of the box C, as set forth.

4. The plates L, fitted on the axle K, secured to the cloth or canvas fand constructed L. CONROY. Witnesses:

M. M. LIVINGSTON, JAMES LAIRD. 

